Fantasy Football 2014: Packers at Seahawks 9/4/14 Week 1 Preview

Thursday, September 4, 2014

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It’s that time again; Time to get your fantasy roster in order for the official kickoff to the 2014 NFL season. Starting things out this year will be the Seattle Seahawks playing host to the Green Bay Packers, and if you’ll remember the last time these two teams met out west was the famous “Fail Mary” game in 2012, which cemented the demise of the replacement referees. Things won’t be quite so dramatic this time, but there will be plenty of action happening on your fantasy roster. Let’s take a closer look at some of the key contributors on both sides of the field in the first of our “Thursday Night Football” fantasy breakdowns this season.

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers: Depending on your league, Rodgers was either the second or third quarterback off the board on draft day (behind only Peyton Manning and possibly Drew Brees). He’ll be earning that position this season, as he’s become one of the most reliable quarterbacks in the game. Rodgers suffered a freak injury last season that derailed a lot of fantasy campaigns, but comes into this year healthy with a solid supporting cast around him. We expect big things, even against this tough defense.

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Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks: Wilson doesn’t quite carry the pedigree that an Aaron Rodgers does, but he has his own skill-set. He was nothing if not efficient last season, tossing 3,357 yards on a 63.1 completion percentage for 26 scores and just nine interceptions en route to a Super Bowl win. It remains to be seen if he’ll come back hungry or suffer the championship hangover. Regardless, as a mid-teens pickup he makes a high-end backup or low, low-end starter in fantasy.

Eddie Lacy, RB, Green Bay Packers: We like Eddie Lacy quite a bit this season, and most other people do, too. He’s one of the few potential bell-cow backs in the NFL, and was probably among the first five picks in your fantasy league. Lacy can do it all: rushing (11 scores on 1,178 yards last season) or receiving (35 catches in 2013). He should get plenty of opportunities to improve on those numbers this year. He may start off slow against Seattle’s brick wall defense, but he’ll finish among the top names in the league.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seattle Seahawks: Speaking of the top names in the league, Lynch gets by on name recognition alone. That said, his fantasy stock has fallen a bit as he continues to age, and there are a few notable concerns here. Some pundits feel he’s in for a drop-off in touches this season as the Seahawks attempt to keep him fresh. With that in mind, don’t expect a repeat of last year’s numbers (301 carries; 12 touchdowns).

Jordy Nelson, WR, Green Bay Packers: We could just as easily have put Randall Cobb here, as he’s pretty close in the rankings to Nelson, but since the latter is the technical No. 1 WR, we’ll go with him. Nelson was very solid last year, racking up 85 grabs for 1,314 yards and eight scores. He’s a familiar face in Green Bay, and his chemistry with Rodgers will go a long way. Still, there will be weeks where he’ll disappear among the fog of Cobb and Lacy, but should remain relatively consistent from game to game.

Percy Harvin, WR, Seattle Seahawks: You’ll find Harvin ranked anywhere from the early-20s to the mid-30s among wide receivers heading into this game, and the reason for that is the fact that no one has seen him at full health in quite a while--there’s obviously some uncertainty here. That said, the off-season reports on him have been good, and he’s supposedly going into this season at 100 percent. If that’s true, it’s a big boost for Seattle; Harvin is the most dynamic player on their offense and is capable of stellar numbers every game. He’s not a bad guy to have on your roster.

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